In this month’s episode we visit with BASS Elite Series Pro Clark Reehm, Greg Huff and Rich Lindgren from the Twin City Limits Podcast (again), and we share with you how to get a copy of our secret “underground” episode. Oh, and we also talk about Gerald Swindle’s hat (see below).

Better late than never!– Podcast Episode 9 is finally here. In this episode we chat with Ramada Trophy Chase winner Russ Lane [Alabama native of course], we challenge another fishing podcast to an (un)friendly wager, and we announce a new Tackle Experts contest for our listeners.

]]>https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/don-logan-featured-in-podcast-episode-8/feed/5bocrawdonloganjpg-270fbf0b32868b83_largeAdd to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to NewsvineMike Tidwell visits The Armchair Anglers Podcasthttps://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/mike-tidwell-visits-the-armchair-anglers-podcast/
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In this month’s episode we are joined by Bayou Farewell author and Gulf Coast expert Mike Tidwell. Mike gives us his first-hand account of how the oil spill is threatening America’s wetlands. Later, Bo and Clint discuss BASS happenings while in “Casual Friday” mode.

]]>https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/mike-tidwell-visits-the-armchair-anglers-podcast/feed/1bocrawBayou_FarewellMike_Tidwell2Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to NewsvineMore experts agree–Oil leak much larger than 5,000 barrels a dayhttps://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/more-experts-agree-oil-leak-much-larger-than-5000-barrels-a-day/
https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/more-experts-agree-oil-leak-much-larger-than-5000-barrels-a-day/#commentsFri, 14 May 2010 13:12:35 +0000http://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/?p=1127]]>

NPR reports that the leak might be 70,000 barrels a day--more than 10 times higher than the amount reported by BP. (Photo: BP)

Having an accurate estimate of the spill is important so that coastal residents and government officials can properly plan and address the disaster and make adequate contingency plans should further complications arise, such as a tropical storm.

BP originally estimated that the size of the spill was 1,000 barrels a day. They later revised the estimate to 5,000 barrels a day, which is the number currently being widely reported by the main stream media.

Shortly thereafter the WSJ and Skytruth reported that Dr. Ian MacDonald from Florida State University estimated the size to be 25,000 barrels a day, based on calculations derived from aerial imagery of the size of the spill. Following that report BP officials stated that there was no reliable way to estimate the size of the spill and maintained the 5,000 barrel a day estimate.

Last week I did some napkin math and openly suggested that the 5,000 barrel day estimate might be low. BP’s own press releases state that skimmers have recovered 97,000 barrels of an oily liquid, 350,000+ of dispersants have been used, and 530 boats are operating in the recovery effort. Given the forgiving weather we experienced last week, common sense tells us that these recovery efforts would have made more progress addressing a 5,000 barrel a day oil leak.

My napkin math post was removed after I learned that two of my ratios were off based on current reports, and needed to be recalucated. But the premise remains that same: Common sense is tells us that oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico at a higher rate than they are able to recover.

Based on all but the the official 5,000 barrel per day estimate, this oil spill already exceeds the Exxon Valdez spill.

]]>https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/more-experts-agree-oil-leak-much-larger-than-5000-barrels-a-day/feed/5bocraworiginal_plume_1Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to NewsvineExperts discuss Oil Spill in May 2010 Podcasthttps://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/experts-discuss-oil-spill-in-may-2010-podcast/
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Every inch of marsh destroyed on front end (the coast) pushes the saltwater line further back into the marsh, destroying bass habitat on the back end.

Marsh bass will eat the heck out of brown shrimp. Destroying the bottom of the food chain hurts both saltwater and freshwater fish.

]]>https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/experts-discuss-oil-spill-in-may-2010-podcast/feed/2bocrawAdd to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to NewsvineLake Guntersville Predictionshttps://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/lake-guntersville-predictions/
https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/lake-guntersville-predictions/#respondWed, 05 May 2010 19:42:31 +0000http://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/?p=1065]]>I asked two local big sticks what it would take to win at Lake Guntersville.

Troy Jens of Angling Alabama said, “I hope I am wrong, but I think the weights will be down a little this year. Our local events have been down substantially. I expect a 23 pound average to win, and probably 18 a day to get a check”.

Alex Davis, aka “The Spinnerbait Kid“, said, “The fishing is a lot tougher this year compared to last year when the Elites came. I believe there will still be big bags…it will take 83-87 lbs to win and 36 lbs to get a check”.

I find it interesting that both these guys think that it will take 36 lbs to get a check (Top 47 after 2 days). Their consensus is that the winning weight will be high 80s to low 90s…meaning my early prediction of Pickwick outfishing Guntersville will prove to be false.

If you want to improve your fishing skills, so that you can enjoy a lifetime of improved fishing success, I suggest you invest a day and fish with these gentlemen.

The oil spill is expected the accelerate the already dramatic land loss in the Louisiana Delta. (Image courtesy of Times Picayune)

05/06/2010 2:44 PM CST: Here is a video with Dr. Ed Overton, the expert who joined us on this month’s podcast. He is also featured in a Rachel Maddow video that is being emailed around, but I did not want to subject our readers to that.

05/05/2010 8:31 PM CST: Will the oil slick effect bass fishermen? It already has–at least economically. What a trip to see Serigne’s marina in the WSJ. Many a bass has been caught in that area. On a separate note, it is a amazing how lucky we have been with this thing not coming ashore yet. The NOAA 48 hour forecast shows it heading to the West of the Mississippi River mouth.

05/05/2010 8:07 PM CST: It would not surprise me if the pogy kills are a result of the dispersant–the effects of which are largely untested from what is reported.

05/05/2010 3:23 PM CST: As mentioned earlier, Mike Tidwell, author of Bayou Farewell, was originally scheduled to appear on our podcast to discuss the oil spill, but he basically dumped us for Katie Couric. (Which is totally understandable–and yes, we were able to find a different big-named guest to fill in.) Here is the interview Mike did with Katie:

05/05/2010 2:58 PM CST: This is a very interesting idea. By diverting fresh water into Lake Pontchartrain, the oil contaminates could hopefully be kept out of the lake. The most infuriating part of this article is the concern over the freshwater diversion killing oyster beds. Oyster beds can grow back for goodness sake! But diverting water into Lake Pontchartrain keeps less water from flowing down to the mouth of the Mississippi River–which is the area that needs all the current they can get since it is the part of the coast closest to the “ground zero”, aka the leak.

05/03/2010 10:04 PM CST: This is an interesting article on the dispersants being used on the oil. It is basically trading one form of pollution for another. But what is interesting to me is the lengths they are having to go to to get enough of the actual chemical.

05/03/2010 10:18 AM CST: Famous author Mike Tidwell postponed our podcast recording today so that he could be interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS news instead. I assume Mike’s people have not explained to him what a high-powered media power The Armchair Anglers Podcast has become–he should have told Katie that he had a more important obligation!

Seriously, we understand Mike’s reasons for rescheduling and look forward to having him on in the near future. We are working on a “plan b”…

05/03/2010 10:16 AM CST: This geologist at SkyTruth says that this oil spill has already eclipsed the Valdez spill.

05/03/2010 11:18 AM CST: We have been so fortunate that the oil sheen has not hit the Biloxi marsh so far, at least according to this USA Today map and forecast. Good news, the wind forecast is favorable so that they will have a chance of actually cleaning some up for the next few days.

05/03/2010 8:58 AM CST: This article in the WSJ talks about the expected long-term affects on wildlife. Keep in mind that the WSJ is hardly the Sierra Club’s favorite publication…

05/02/2010 11:34 AM CST: Many are pointing out the the oil spill isn’t really a spill at all–it is a leak. I concede this point, but am not going to edit previous post to correct.

05/02/2010 11:22 AM CST: We will be recording our podcast this week. Please email us questions to ask our panel of experts about the oil spill. If your email is read on air you will win prizes from Culprit Fishing Products–the new sponsor of our backlash segment.

05/02/2010 10:47 AM CST: The Louisiana coast is dying because Mississippi River fresh water and sediment is being leveed all the way to the continental shelf, where it is dumped and wasted. The marsh is dying because it is not built for a salt water only environment. The Louisiana coast would have a chance of surviving the oil spill if only we would let fresh water mix with salt, so that the area is returned to it’s natural state. Be you a left wing tree hugger or a right wing blood thirsty hunter, or anyone in between, you should want to preserve the Louisiana coast.

That is why it is so confusing to me why we can’t fund a solution to this mess and give mother nature a chance to fight this oil spill.

The price tag for the coastal restoration project is 4 Billion dollars. It was funded with 35.6 million dollars.

Money is flying out the door from Washington at an insane pace, and we can’t pay the bill to save our own land?

I don’t get it. Consider this:

2010 Federal Budget = 3,552,000,000,000

Requested funds = 4,000,000,000

4 billion sounds like a lot of money–and it is. But you mean the federal government can’t spend .11% (yes, notice the decimal–one tenth of one percent) to fix a problem that the Corps of Engineers caused in the first place?

I don’t get it.

05/02/2010 10:21 AM CST: “So this is going to kill the land that is already dying”, my wife said last night–pretty much summing up the exact situation we are in. I highly recommend spending seven minutes to view this swish presentation developed by Dan Swenson of the Times Picayune. That presentation will give you an understanding of the already bad situation before the oil spill made it much worse. I will post images later but I am having technical difficulties.

This is going to kill the land that is already dying. –Mrs. Crawford

05/02/1010 10:15 AM CST: I use a WordPress plug-in that automatically generates links to “possibly related post” around WordPress.com. You will notice that since the oil spill there are many post floating around the blogosphere cleverly titled “Spill Baby Spill”, which smugly criticize those of us (yes, this includes me) that ever uttered “drill baby drill”. I call BS on these bloggers. I didn’t sign up for this, nor did anyone else who dislikes $4 a gallon gas. Even America’s Wetland–a non-profit organization working to save the Louisiana Delta–recognizes that we need fuel in the modern world. They reiterated this in a recent statement.

05/02/2010 10:10 AM CST: The Gulf oil spill is going to be a long-lasting event that we will be watching for months to come. I will post comments, analysis and links in live-blog format, starting fresh each week. This marks the third calendar week of the oil spill. I am going to change the format of the live-blogs so that it reads newest to oldest, the opposite of how I did this during week 2.

]]>https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/gulf-oil-spill-live-blog-week-3/feed/6bocraw2020_mapVOTE!–Will the oil spill be the worst eco-disaster in history?https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/vote-will-the-oil-spill-be-the-worst-eco-disaster-in-history/
https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/vote-will-the-oil-spill-be-the-worst-eco-disaster-in-history/#commentsSat, 01 May 2010 02:39:07 +0000http://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/?p=1013]]>

Take Our Poll]]>https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/vote-will-the-oil-spill-be-the-worst-eco-disaster-in-history/feed/1bocrawLouisiana Oil Spill Coverage – Live Blog #2https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/louisiana-oil-spill-coverage-live-blog/
https://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/louisiana-oil-spill-coverage-live-blog/#commentsFri, 30 Apr 2010 17:07:01 +0000http://armchairanglers.wordpress.com/?p=1002]]>We will do our best to keep our readers informed about Transocean oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the coverage from major networks leads me to believe that they do not fully realize the damaging scope of this event, or the serious environmental impact this is going to have.

Here is a brief post I made yesterday that links to a WSJ article, and mentions that the impacted area is where Mike Iaconelli won the 2003 Bassmaster Classic.

Clint and I are changing plans for the May podcast episode so that we can give this topic the attention it deserves. It looks like the May podcast will exclusively cover this topic. Tentative guest include Mike Tidwell, author of Bayou Farewell, Andy Crawford of theLouisianaSportsman.com, and an oil and gas expert from LSU geo engineering dept.

Stay tuned as I will attempt provide interesting links. I invite our readers to submit links about the topic in the comments section below.

I have made several phone calls to biologists to try to ascertain the effect the crude oil will have on the marsh vegetation holding the Louisiana coastline together. It depends on so many factors none can say for certain…it depends on how diluted the oil is. The truth is no one knows for certain what the long term damages will be. If they can’t plug the leak it is going to be very bad. The WSJ says that the leak might be 25,000 barrels a day…5X higher than the 5,000 barrels originally reported.

4/30/2010 5:27 PM

The phrase, “worst environmental disaster in American history” is being used more and more frequently. Click here for example.

Anyone who ever uttered “drill baby drill” is getting hammered by the Huffington Post and similar news outlets.

The LA Times actually has some good coverage of this. I refused to post a link earlier because I thought they had Greenpeace ads all over their site, turns out it says “Greenspace“–a special section of their paper.

04/30/2010 7:04 PM CST

This is the first report I have read about plans to actually stop the leaking. Two weeks is the best case scenario to stop the leaking. That means this will trump Valdez by a long shot.

This Times Picayune reporter is the first I have heard that gets the big picture. All the images of sick and dying birds, otters and raccoons are going to be heart breaking…but ultimately they could reproduce and repopulate. If they have habitat that is…It is the permanent damage to the habitat (marsh grass), and unsexy organisms a the bottom of the food chain, that is going to cause irreparable damage to the entire eco system. I don’t think it will ever be the same, which is why I voted “yes” in our oil spill poll. Click here to see the Times Picayune video.